William p



W. F. COCHRANE.

Hopper Boys for Flour Mills.

Patented Sept. 30. 1862.

.M/ 1154 rue 5. Photo-Lithographer. Washingfon, D. C,

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U NITED STATES ATENT Fries.

WILLIAM F. COOHRANE, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND WARDER &' CHILD, OF SAME PLACE.

iMPROVEMENT IN HOPPER-BOYS FOR FLOUR MILLS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 36,5fi3, dated September 30, 1862f To aZZ whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM F. COCHRANE, of Springfield, in the county of Clark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and-useful Improvements in HopperBoys for Flouring Mills, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which make part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 represents a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of a hopperboy embracing my improvements. Fig. 2 represents a similar view of the same, taken at right angles to Fig. 1.

In the operation of the hopper-boy the elevators often deliver the meal to the cooling chamber with more rapipity than it is carried away by the spout which conveys the meal from the cooling-floor to the bolting-reel, and it accumulates in the chamber. Under such circumstances the feeding becomes very irregular and uncertain, even if it is not entirely stopped, as the flights which spread, stir, and cool the meal always run above its surface, and as the meal has a great tendency to pack when it accumulates on the cooling-floor beyond a certain depth.

It is the object of one branch of the invcntion claimed under this patent to remedy this objection; and to this end my improvement consists in giving to the trough or spout which feeds the meal from the cooling-floor to the bolting-reel a free vertical movement, so that whatever may be the quantity of meal on the cooling-floor the mouth or entrance of the spout shall always remain at the same relative distance from its surface.

My improvement further consists in combining this sliding spout with the rake-arm or traveler of the hopper-boy in such manner that while said arm imparts its vertical movements to the spout its own rotary movement is not interrupted or impeded.

In consequence of the arm which connects the rake-arm and feeding-spout having a vertical movement only, if it were made flat on its under side it would pack the flour beneath it, and thus arrest the downward movement of the hopper-boy.

My improvement for obviating this objection consists in making the arm which carries the spout very thin in its horizontal transverse section and sharp or wedge-shaped on its lower side, so as to cut through the flour without difficulty during its descending movement.

The accompanying drawings represent a convenient arrangement of parts for carrying out the objects of my invention.

The cooling floor or chamber and hopperboy-may be of the usual construction. The latter consists, mainly, of a vertical shaft, B, turning freely in its bearings and carrying a leader, I), and rakearm B upon'its upper and lower ends, respectively. The leader is secured rigidly to the shaft B, but the rake-arm turns loosely and slides freely up and down on it. The ends of the leader and rake-arm are connected by cords b, in order' to impart to the rake the movement of the shaft and leader. The flights b are arranged on the arm in the usual way. An arm, 13*, which carries the discharge-spouts 13, extends across the chamber in a plane parallel to the rake-arm and just beneath it. The spout-arm is furnished with a collar, 11 which plays loosely on the shaft B and is connected with the collar of the rakearm, so that both will rise or fall together. The arm B is made thin in its cross-section and sharp or wedge-shaped on its lower side, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The spouts play freely up aud'down in troughs O, which lead from the cooling-floor B to the bolting-reels.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The meal is conveyed from the stones to the cooling-floor B by an elevator or in any other proper manner. Rotary movement is imparted to the shaft B and rake-arm B, the flights b of which spread, stir, and cool the meal and sweep it into the discharge-spouts 13*. Should the discharge be stopped and the feeding continue, the hopper-boy would still spread, stir, and cool the meal, the rake gradually rising as the quantity increased, and alway remaining above the meal. The red lines in Fig. 1 represent the relative position of the several parts when the rake-arm and dischargespouts are elevated. WVhen the discharge again commences, the meal escapes freely, as the mouth of the spout is near the surface of the meal, whereas, had it been several feet below, as it would have been under the old method of construction, it would have, in all probability, been inoperative from the packing of the meal. As the quantity of meal on the cooling-floor decreases, the rake-arm descends, carrying the spout-arm B and spouts B with it, thus always preserving the same relation between the surface of the meal and the mouth of the spout. Werethe spout-arm fiat on its under side, it would pack the meal beneath it in its descent, and thus stop the descent of the spout and rake-arm; but this is effectually prevented by the knife-blade form given to the spout-arm, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

In the accompanying drawings my improvements are shown as applied to a double bolting-chest having two reels side by side; but it is obvious that the number of sponts may be varied at pleasure without affecting their mode of operation. My improvements are readily and equally adaptable to any description of bolting-chests whatever, whether atmospheric pressure is employed to facilitate the bolting process or not.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Giving to the spout or trough which feeds the meal from the cooling-floor to the boltingreel a free vertical movement, so that its 'mouth may always maintain the same relative WILLIAM F. COGHRANE.

XVitnesses.

I. S. CHRISTIE,

J. D. MoLER. 

